The present disclosure relates generally to light devices incorporating LEDs and in particular to a package for a high-power LED device.
A light-emitting diode (LED) is a semiconductor device that produces light when an electric current is passed through it. LEDs have many advantages over conventional lighting sources, including compact size, improved energy efficiency, longer life, and higher reliability. LEDs have traditionally been used in applications such as indicator lights. More recently, LEDs also have become an important alternative light source for various applications where incandescent and fluorescent lamps have traditionally dominated. For such applications, high brightness (and therefore high operating current) is generally desirable.
To provide an operational lamp, one or more LEDs are typically mounted on a an electrically insulating substrate (e.g., ceramic) that can be patterned with conductive pathways to supply electrical current to the LEDs. For example, LEDs can be wire-bonded to the conductive pathways using metal pads disposed on an upper surface of the substrate. The LEDs and portions (or all) of the substrate are usually covered with one or more layers of optically transparent and/or wavelength-shifting materials, in some cases including a primary lens to direct the exiting light. The substrate is mounted on and electrically connected to a metal-core printed circuit board (MCPCB). The MCPCB provides electrical contacts and mechanical couplings. This combination of LEDs, substrate, MCPCB, and optical materials is sometimes referred to as a “package.” A package can be incorporated into a lamp or other lighting apparatus that may include additional components such as a secondary lens, heat sink, mechanical and/or electrical connections allowing installation into a light fixture, and so on.